HarryC

My Feedback: (1)

I am spraying my Sabre with Metal Kote and I want a high polish finish. I have followed the BVM instructions to the letter - spray on gloss black, then to eliminate the slight orange peel cut back with 1200 then to 2500 grade paper. The paint is 2 pack car acrylic. Sanding off the orange peel makes it matt, even after a good session with the 2500 used wet, the paint is still matt. On applying the metal kote it looks like metal but nowhere near polished, the odd little spot at the wing roots that I could not get into to sand and were left gloss come up shiny just like I want.

So, how do I get a high polish effect?

Will the clear coats make it come up reflective, I doubt it?

If I apply gloss black and get only slight orange peel can I apply the metal-kote over that and not notice the orange peel once the clear coats are applied?

If I have to eliminate orange peel by sanding, I can get the black paint back to a satin sheen by working up to 8000 paper. Is that enough to bring up a high polish finish?

If I follow the BVM instructions to the 2500 grade which leaves the black paint matt, will it work if I put a clear coat over that to gloss it back up before applying the metal kote over the clear coat, or will sanding any orange peel off the clear coat just make the black appear matt again?

thanks for any advice,

Harry

S HARRIS

My Feedback: (6)

Harry, first, any orange peel or trash will be very visable when the metalkoat is applied.Black base coat must be smooth and then light coat of clear.Heres where the wet sanding will pay off. Apply METAL KOAT on top of clear and you'll have as close to chrome as you can get.don't be discouraged when appling the bonder. It will dull the finish but it will come right back with the clear coat.I found adding reducer 100%-200% will practically eliminate the orange peel.I'm finishing my BVM F-86. Good luck Scott

HarryC

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for that, so I should apply clear coat over the dulled black, then metal kote over the clear coat?

The clear coat will need to be rubbed down to eliminate imperfections, that doesn’t effect the gloss?

Have you got any recommendations for the sequence of applying other colours? BVM says to apply other colours like the yellow bands before metal kote, as the metal kote adhesion is poor and masking tape may peel it off. Someone on another thread said it was ok to mask off over the metal kote, assuming it has been bonded and a clear coat applied over it first.

The Sabre will have Pro-mark rub-down decals, have you any experience of how these react to having clear coat with 100-200% thinners sprayed on them?

Harry

Q8SABRE

My Feedback: (3)

Pls Harry, post pictures

HarryC

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry, I don't have a digital camera.

H

DavidR

My Feedback: (1)

Harry,

The Promark rivets will be fine with even up to 300-400% reducer. Make sure and apply them over a gloss clear coat and NOT a flat finish though.

HarryC

My Feedback: (1)

EUREKA!

I applied a coat of clear acrylic lacquer from an aerosol can ("plasti-kote" brand) over the flattened black, rubbed it briefly with 8000 grade micro-mesh then applied metal kote on top of that and at last got the result I have been hoping for. Not a chrome-like finish but a decent high shine, enough to blind you if you catch the sun on it!

Now, why bother with applying gloss black in the first place, why not apply matt black which will usually cure with no orange peel? It will still need a little rubbing down to make a smooth surface but should be less rubbing down than is needed to get rid of orange peel on the gloss black. Has anyone tried that?

I am spraying the metal-kote straight from the tin without adding any of its thinners, is that correct? Seems to work fine.

Harry